• World's fastest password cracker
• World's first and only in-kernel rule engine
• Free to use
• Open-Source (MIT License)
• Multi-OS (Linux, Windows and macOS)
• Multi-Platform (CPU, GPU, APU, etc., everything that comes with an OpenCL runtime)
• Multi-Hash (Cracking multiple hashes at the same time)
• Multi-Devices (Utilizing multiple devices in same system)
• Multi-Device-Types (Utilizing mixed device types in same system)
• Supports password candidate brain functionality
• Supports distributed cracking networks (using overlay)
• Supports interactive pause / resume
• Supports sessions
• Supports restore
• Supports reading password candidates from file and stdin

1. The Hashcat tool is a password cracking utility that is used for both licit and illicit purposes.
2. It operates by conducting brute-force attacks with hash values of passwords, attempting to guess or apply the correct hash value.
3. In legitimate applications, it can be used for penetration testing to identify weak or compromised credentials.
4. However, it is more commonly known for being used in nefarious activities, such as breaching complex passwords by using Hashcat to crack passwords using known hashes.

1. Brute-force attacks : Hashcat can perform brute-force attacks by generating and testing a large number of password combinations until it finds a match with the target hash.
2. Dictionary attacks : In this mode, Hashcat uses a predefined list of common passwords or words to attempt to crack the target hash. This approach is often faster than brute-force attacks since it leverages common password patterns.
3. Rainbow table attacks : Hashcat can utilize precomputed tables of hash values, known as rainbow tables, to crack passwords. This method bypasses the need for real-time generation of candidate passwords, which can significantly speed up the cracking process.
4. Hybrid attacks : This mode combines both dictionary and brute-force attacks, allowing Hashcat to generate variations of words in the dictionary using different character sets and lengths.
5. Mask attacks : Hashcat enables users to define a specific pattern or mask for the passwords to be generated, potentially narrowing down the search space and speeding up the cracking process.

Hashcat is a powerful command-line utility used for cracking password hashes. It supports a variety of attack modes and hash types. Here are some examples of how to use Hashcat :

1. To crack an MD5 hash using a dictionary attack, you can use the following command : hashcat -m 0 -a 0 hash.txt wordlist.txt
• In this command, -m 0 specifies the hash type (MD5), -a 0 specifies the attack mode (dictionary attack), hash.txt is the file containing the hash, and wordlist.txt is the file containing the wordlist.
2. For cracking a SHA1 hash, the command would be similar but with a different hash type : hashcat -m 100 -a 0 hash.txt wordlist.txt
• Here, -m 100 specifies the SHA1 hash type.
3. Hashcat also supports other attack modes such as combinator and mask attacks. For a combinator attack, you can use : hashcat -m 0 -a 1 hash.txt wordlist.txt
• In this case, -a 1 specifies the combinator attack mode.
4. Mask attacks are useful when you have partial information about the password. For example, if you know the password starts with "pass" and is followed by a number, you can use : hashcat -m 0 -a 3 hash.txt ?d?d?d?d
• Here, -a 3 specifies the mask attack mode, and ?d?d?d?d specifies that the password consists of four digits.

• hashcat-data
• libc6
• libgcc-s1
• libminizip1
• libstdc++6
• libxxhash0
• pocl-opencl-icd | opencl-icd
• zlib1g

Terminal Installation Commands ...
GUI Installation Steps ...

Linux

1. Update Your System : Run the following command to ensure your system is up-to-date : sudo apt update
2. Install Hashcat : Use the package manager to install Hashcat : sudo apt install hashcat
3. Verify Installation : Check if Hashcat is installed correctly by running : hashcat --version

Windows (Pairing with GUI tools)

1. Download Hashcat : Get the latest version from the official Hashcat website.
2. Extract Files : Use a tool like 7zip to extract the downloaded archive to a preferred location (e.g., C:\Hashcat).
3. Install GPU Drivers : Ensure your GPU drivers are up to date. If using NVIDIA, install the CUDA Toolkit; for AMD, install OpenCL drivers.
4. Download a GUI Tool : Some popular GUI tools for Hashcat include :
   • HashcatGUI : A simple front-end for Hashcat.
   • Hashtopolis : A distributed Hashcat management tool.
   • CudaHashcatGUI : Specifically designed for CUDA-based GPUs.
5. Install the GUI Tool : Follow the installation instructions provided by the GUI tool’s developer.
6. Configure Hashcat in GUI : Open the GUI tool and set the path to the Hashcat executable (hashcat.exe).
7. Run Hashcat via GUI : Load hash files, select attack modes, and start cracking passwords using the GUI interface.

MacOS (Pairing with GUI tools)

1. Install Dependencies : Open Terminal and install necessary dependencies : brew install hashcat
2. Download a GUI Tool : Some GUI tools compatible with Hashcat include :
   • HashcatGUI : A simple front-end for Hashcat.
   • Hashtopolis : A distributed Hashcat management tool.
3. Install the GUI Tool : Follow the installation instructions provided by the GUI tool’s developer.
4. Configure Hashcat in GUI : Open the GUI tool and set the path to the Hashcat executable.
5. Run Hashcat via GUI : Load hash files, select attack modes, and start cracking passwords using the GUI interface.

Terminal Uninstallation Commands ...
GUI Uninstallation Steps ...

Linux

1. Remove Hashcat : To uninstall Hashcat, use the following command : sudo apt remove hashcat
2. Clean : Remove any unnecessary dependencies and clean up : sudo apt autoclean && sudo apt autoremove

Windows

1. Remove GUI Tool : Uninstall the GUI tool via Windows Settings (Control Panel > Programs > Uninstall a program).
2. Delete Hashcat Files : Since Hashcat doesn’t require installation, simply delete the extracted folder (C:\Hashcat).
3. Remove GPU Drivers (Optional) : If you installed CUDA/OpenCL drivers specifically for Hashcat, you can uninstall them via Windows Settings.

MacOS

1. Remove GUI Tool : Uninstall the GUI tool via Finder or Terminal.
2. Uninstall Hashcat : Run the following command in Terminal : brew uninstall hashcat
3. Remove Dependencies (Optional) : If needed, remove additional dependencies installed for Hashcat.